the making of the Sahel food crisis told through photos–via Oxfam Intl’

An estimated 13 million people are at severe risk from a food crisis in the Sahel region, according to Oxfam. Since early February, I’ve seen warnings from the likes of the UN special rapporteur on food, the World Food Program and Oxfam insisting on appropriate emergency response plans, mobilizing funds, and addressing the structural causes of this crisis. At this point, many factors indicate that the crisis will soon turn deadly.

“Millions of people are on the threshold of a major crisis. All signs point to a drought becoming a catastrophe if nothing is done soon. The world cannot allow this to happen. A concerted aid effort is needed to stop tens of thousands dying due to international complacency,” said Mamadou Biteye Oxfam Regional Director for West Africa.

How does a food crisis come to be? This photoset examines the story behind what I hope won’t be one of the worst food crises in the region’s history.